Stars

It was a sunny Monday morning when the buzzer rang and I spilt boiling hot coffee down my black sweatshirt. Tom opened the door and in bounded an excited four year old with her blonde hair in two plaits, her hands in pink mittens and a Peppa Pig backpack in her left hand. “Dotty!” I dropped the tea towel I was mopping myself up with and ran over to the little girl, picking her up and twirling around. “How are you, darling?”

She smiled in reply, eyeing Tom eating cereal in the corner. I put her down and she ran to her father, hiding her face in his leg, “Stop being so loud, Thea! You’re embarrassing me!” He said, putting his hand on the top of her head. “I’m sorry about this, she should be destroying your house by now, but she seems to have been overcome by nerves.” Fredrik put her suitcase down and crushed me in a hug, his broad, jumper-covered chest smothering me slightly. “You good, Sylvie?”

I nodded and stood on my tip toes to kiss his cheek, “I’m great, thanks. You look awfully tired, Freddie.” I let go of his muscular frame and wandered back over to the kitchen area, “Do you want a coffee? I spilt most of it on myself but I can make more…”

“That’d be fantastic, thank you.” He yawned, “Thea woke me up at five because she poured orange squash all over her pillow. I think this habit of spilling things must run in the family.” He let out a hearty laugh and sat down next to Tom at the island counter. His eyes were drooping and two of his fingers had found their way into his cup of tea. I threw a grape at him and he shot up, looking around and grinning at Fredrik. “I assume you’re Tom? I’m Fredrik Matthiassen, Sylvia’s brother. It’s nice to meet you.” Tom wiped his tea soaked fingers on his pyjama bottoms and shook hands with the taller man on his right.

I poured the coffee into two mugs and felt Dorothea stand next to me, “Would you like a drink, Dot?” She beamed and I gave her a Capri-Sun from the fridge with three chocolate fingers and a Jammy Dodger, “Don’t tell your dad – he’ll get all doctor-y on me.” She giggled and sat down on the floor, taking off her mittens, hiding behind the counter and biting into her first biscuit. “So, how was the journey here? I hope you didn’t get lost.”

“The traffic was quite bad but we played I-spy in the car, which was quite fun and I found out there was a Clash CD in the glove box. It was a rather pleasant journey, wasn’t it, Thea?” Fredrik replied, taking an apple from the fruit bowl and biting into it.

“It was good, daddy bought me chocolate buttons.” She answered, after swallowing some orange juice. “I like chocolate buttons, especially when there are the white ones as well as the normal ones.”

I laughed, “You spoil her.”

“You’re the one sneaking her biscuits.” Fredrik pointed out, “I can hear her crunching them. I ate enough Jammy Dodgers in university to know what they sound like when being eaten. I lived off them for four years, Thea, get better at sneak eating.”

She frowned and stood up, her mouth covered in chocolate, “I’m the best at sneak eating! You and mummy never see me eat Cheesestrings before bed.”

“Don’t they give you bad dreams, though?” Tom asked, his voice hoarse from his not speaking. He took a sip of his tea and rubbed his eyes.

“Nope! They just taste nice!” She said. She put her hand on the white cupboard door and pushed herself up, going to stand behind Fredrik, who picked her up and put her on his knee, offering her a bite of his apple.

She bit into it as I cleaned the small, hand shaped, chocolate smudges off the cupboard. I threw the dishcloth in the sink and ran my hands through my hair, tying it up in a ponytail on the top of my head. “Come into the living room, it’s warmer in here.” I said, picking up my cup of coffee and walking towards the sofas. I sat down cross legged on the one facing the large window and put a fluffy cushion down in my lap, resting the cup on the non fluffy side. I turned the television on as the three people came over towards the area I was in and flipped over to the radio stations, settling on a classic rock station that was playing Steely Dan. “So, what’re we gonna do with you, Dotty?”

She shrugged and threw herself onto the sofa, snuggling into her father’s side. “I heard there was a kids’ crafts type thing down at the main RSC theatre, it’s running all week.” Tom said, sitting beside me and putting his tea on the coffee table in front of him. “I think it is fairy related?” He looked and Dorothea for approval and she grinned.

“I love fairies!” She clapped her hands, “Can I go?”

I nodded, “I’m sure it’ll be fantastic, Dot.” I finished my coffee and bit my lip, “We can go to the Teddy Bear Museum? That’s quite fun. I doubt you’ll be interested in anything Shakespeare related, so… there’s a really fantastic park by the riverside.” I sighed, “Have you got anymore ideas?”

Tom shook his head, “Birmingham isn’t too far away. That’s all I’ve got.”

“Right, okay.” I drew a pattern on the cushion and cocked my head, “We’ll find out more about the craft thing and take it from there. Let you see Stratford, Dot. Does that sound okay?”

“That sounds good.” She said, the straw from her Capri-Sun poking out of her mouth. “When are you leaving, daddy?”

Fredrik gasped, “God, I didn’t know you wanted me gone so fast, Thea. Let me drink my coffee and I’ll be out of your hair soon, don’t worry.” Her cheeks reddened and she started playing with the ends of her braids.

My head moved rapidly to the left as the post crashed to the floor. “That terrified me. That’s what I’ve been reduced to, being scared by Amazon packages.”

“How embarrassing.” Tom stated, his hand scratching his awfully sarcastic face, “You should be mortified at how utterly shameful that is.”

“You’re such a condescending twa-” I stopped myself and glanced at Dorothea, “bastard.” Fredrik looked at me incredulously, “What? That was hardly bad. She didn’t notice my terrible language anyway, we’re all good here.”

He just shook his head, drank the rest of his coffee and stood up, “I should be off. Meant to be getting on the plane at four and I still need to finish packing.” He kissed his daughter’s forehead and gave her a light hug, “A week without you, Thea… I’m sure to miss you, little ladybird.”

“It was really good to see you, Freddie. I hope the weather’s good for you two.” I put the cushion down on the floor and stood up to kiss his cheek, “You and Gwen have fun.”

“I’m sure we will.” He replied with his hands on my shoulders. “It was good to put a face to a name finally, Tom. You two are great together.”

They shook hands again and Tom smiled warmly at him, “It was nice to meet Sylvie’s favourite sibling. She speaks so highly of you and I see that none of it was lies.”

“Oh, you charmer.” Fredrik laughed and squeezed his upper arm. “You’re both coming to our anniversary party next weekend?”

I looked at Tom and he shrugged, “I’m coming for definite because I have to return your daughter, but if Thomas darling has nothing on…”

“Which I currently don’t…”

“Then we’ll both be there. Is it a costume party? It is, isn’t it?” Fredrik nodded and smirked mischievously.

“Fictional couples. If you don’t dress up, Gwen will dress you up.” He said and opened the door, “So, see you then!”

And with that, he breezed off down the stairs.